bike riding

kaykay

kaykay

Cathlete
Anyone out there bike? My husband wants me to tandem race with him and he goes to fast. I thought I was in good shape, but every hill I don't seem to get enought air and spend all my time trying to catch my breath. Is there anything I can do, preferably Cathe to get in better shape for bike racing or do I have to put hours in spinning or actual bike riding? Should I keep doing my rotations and bike also or is this too much. Thanks for any info.
 
Hi Kathy,

I've been biking recently, also with my DH. Give yourself some time to get used to those hills, and you will! U love my Cathe videos, especially the Imax variety, and think that these have helped me aerobically, but I have found that I improve in my biking the most by putting in some extra riding time. I've specifically focused on doing some killer hills, and it has made a difference. I think it is okay to keep doing your rotations as long as you feel good. Mostly, you just have to do what works for you. For me personally, I am thrilled to have DH exercising, and will sacrifice a few of my Cathe workout days here and there for the time together, especially since I know the good weather won't last forever, and Cathe and I will have more quality time in the winter season. Whatever you decide, good luck!
 
Just got back from a century ride (100 miles), with approximately 4600' of climbing in Yreka, CA. Finished strong, which I attribute to my Cathe workouts, as I only ride at the most twice a week, a shorter ride (20-30 miles of hilly riding) and a longer (50-60 miles) of hills and flats. I agree that the Imax's will help you to sustain tougher efforts for a longer period of time. I think the leg workouts help, but for me, I won't work my legs too close to a bike ride that I think will be pretty challenging. For instance, I did "Leaner Legs" on Tuesday and then no more leg workouts until the bike ride today. I also think any of the kickboxing DVD's help a lot too. I've found that any core and ab work is definitely a help for when you stand while climbing. I'm probably having my best year of cycling ever (this is my 5th season), yet I've put less time on the bike due to other time commitments and hobbies. You definitely will get better by riding more, but if you can't, the Cathe workouts are great substitutes. Personally, I haven't been able to get into riding the trainer during the winters. Way too boring for me. I'll stick with my Cathe workouts, thank you very much. Enjoy the riding!

Jeanette
 
Personally, I have just had to learn to accept my limitations in this area (something I tend not to do gracefully). I ride almost daily and have for five years. I can ride as far as I want now, and regularly ride twenty, thirty, forty miles. (I started out winded from riding six blocks to the grocery store.) But I still can't reach those higher speeds. I have asthma, was a lifelong couch potato, AND I smoked three packs of cigarettes a day for seventeen years (quit about eight years ago). No matter how much I push on the bike, no matter how much Cathe cardio I do, no matter how much running I (try to) do, there are just some things I'll never be able to do, and sustaining speeds over about fifteen mph on my Trek hybrid is one of them, but I'm finally okay with that.

For years, I pushed and pushed, always beating myself up for not being able to do more. But I've finally reached acceptance now, I think. I'm doing worlds more than I was five years ago. I'm 180 degrees healthier and happier, and you know, that's enough. Oh, sure, I still push. I still try to reach the top of my limitations. But I've finally decided to acknowledge that I do HAVE physical limitations, and those limitations do not make me an evil person OR a slacker.

So, my advice to you is not to give up without giving it a helluva fight, but if you don't reach the goals you've set, give yourself a little credit for your progress.

Shari
 
Thank you for your help. Contrats Jeanette on riding 100 miles. Wow! Next year my husband wants to race 50 miles. Thats nothing compared to 100. Active girl, I guess if I hadn't been doing Cathe Imaxes, I'd be in worse shape. Shari, I am not much for pushing myself but it's great that you can do that, especially with asthma. I just don't want to let hubby down. I will push a little harder. Have a great day.
 
Gee, I have the opposite problem. I don't so much get winded when I ride with my DH, but my knees and lower back often start to ache. In order for me to go more than 15 miles with my DH, I would have to get my legs into phenomenal shape. My DH has natural tree trunk legs and can go forever.

My DH is out riding the NYC century right now (100 miles!). He woke up at 3:30 am! :eek: :eek: His dream is to have me go with him. I did a 40-miler with him once and my knees ached for weeks. Still, maybe someday.
 
Nancy, why do you think you don't get winded? Just working out? If it was just steady cardio all the time, no hills, I would be fine- able to go for quite a few miles. He has been mountain biking for a couple of years and is quite used to the hilly terrain. Do you think its possible for everyone to get the same lung capacity or do you think some people will just always have more. I always wondered this. Thanks.
 
Karen-
It's not because I'm so fit, it's because my legs are too weak to ever get me into my target heart rate zone. As I've said before, my legs are pooped before my heart and lungs even know I'm doing anything yet. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but you get my point.

This bod just wasn't born for cycling like DH's. Nonetheless, I do intend to try to get my legs into shape enough that I can do more cycling with him.
 
My DH and I took our bikes out for the first time in over a year last weekend. We went 20 miles and I felt like we really accomplished something LOL!! My legs don't bother me so much as my rear end and my hands, and the padded gloves don't really help. My back aches also. I love cycling but I think it has to be the most umcomfortable sport there is. I think the farthest we have ever gone is 35 or 40 miles.

I'm too chicken to ride on the road and the trails around here are pretty flat. The scenery is beautiful though. The trail is converted from an old railroad track and follows along a river.

Michele
 
For me, I love riding with others that have similar fitness goals and abilities as myself and seeing new countryside. If I had to strictly train all of the time while on the bike, it would lose it's attraction real fast. Are there other ladies you could ride with when you're not on the tandem with your DH? I'm not that familiar with the racing end of cycling (except to watch the pros on TV), but I think the intensity is a lot higher in training. I believe in the early part of the season, they will work more on an aerobic base and spin a lot (lower gears). Later on, they will do intervals and hill repeats. Cyclists I know that do these intervals and such improve quite a bit. I'm just too lazy and prefer to train just hard enough to stay with my friends.

Just wanted to add: I was talking to a co-worker the other day who is getting out her bike and riding a few times a week. She was saying that she is starting to feel discomfort around one of her knees. I asked her if she uses her lower gears and pedals fairly fast. She replied that she doesn't, she pushes the bigger gears and pedals slowly. It's a mistake new riders make all the time and can cause knee problems real quick. A lot of us try to shoot for 80-90 revolutions per minute while on the flats.

You know, it really doesn't get easier, we just get faster.
s
 
Karen, I'm going to disagree with the advice posted here & go with conventional training: You need more time on a bike - but Spinning type training does count.

I don't know what kind of distance you're planning on riding, but you cannot overestimate the benefits of building an aerobic base for any endurance event. And build mileage slowly......

Your husband's gear choice might not be appropriate for you. Just a thought. My DH rides in a much larger gear while I'm high cadence. And I could train till the cows come home but he can always beat me in a sprint. That's male muscle mass for you.

Climbing on a tandem is a challenge so give yourself credit.

Nancy, note the comment about building mileage slowly. One has to start somewhere, but a 40 mile ride is probably too ambitious. For those of you with hand, glute or back pain; ditto. Don't forget that we need to support our low back with our abs. I have the lovely rounded shoulders that most cyclists get; hoping yoga & pilates will eventually correct it.

Debra
 
Hi Debra, How long have you been biking? I think maybe my hubby forgot about a good aerobic base. He thinks I have one from working out with Cathe. I guess its a different kind. He does use high cadence, that part is not a problem. Mostly the hills. Take care. Thanks for all the advice, I will just ride while the weather is good, do Cathe inbetween and consider spinning, sounds boring though. Will building lower body strength help too?
 
Biking makes you a better biker. It uses muscles differently than pretty much every other workout out there. I have read in biking magazines that lunges are the best cross training exercise for the leg muscles to make you a better biker, but I still think cycling is the key. If you are already fit cardiovascularly, the rest will come with practice. I used to bike every day but due to injuries I've had to back off to 1-2 times a week and that with other workouts keeps me in fine biking shape so don't feel like you have to grind on the bike every single day unless you are really training to win.
 
I found spinning to be too hard for a beginner. I just died in the few spinning classes I took. While outdoors you can coast fairly frequently, the spinning classes weren't designed to have you coasting. I think that you can train for spinning classes by riding outdoors, and gradually increasing your endurance, if you really want to take a spinning class. And I agree that they are very boring. I would much rather use the elliptical or the treadmill than do a spinning class.
 
>Hi Debra, How long have you been biking? I think maybe my
>hubby forgot about a good aerobic base. He thinks I have one
>from working out with Cathe. I guess its a different kind.
>He does use high cadence, that part is not a problem. Mostly
>the hills. Take care. Thanks for all the advice, I will just
>ride while the weather is good, do Cathe inbetween and
>consider spinning, sounds boring though. Will building lower
>body strength help too?

I've done a lot of cycling in the past, including riding from San Francisco to Santa Barbara with my husband. The area of LA county where I live isn't very bike friendly. I've done lots of endurance training. Hiking Half Dome with my buddies next month.

Building lower body strength will help with the hills. But you need time on a bike. There's an endurance check-in at Video Fitness that you might find useful. Brenda (yep, Cathe's Brenda) checks in occasionally. Brenda & a couple of others are training for an Ironman.

Debra
 
>I found spinning to be too hard for a beginner. I just died
>in the few spinning classes I took. While outdoors you can
>coast fairly frequently, the spinning classes weren't designed
>to have you coasting. I think that you can train for spinning
>classes by riding outdoors, and gradually increasing your
>endurance, if you really want to take a spinning class. And I
>agree that they are very boring. I would much rather use the
>elliptical or the treadmill than do a spinning class.

I guess this is why gyms offer so many classes & have so many cardio machines! I find Spinning with the music & camraderie a lot more fun than any of the cardio machines. I would agree that someone who can't exercise for 40 minutes would suffer in a Spin class, but since you control the tension of the bike, you have control over the difficulty. Very few of the people I've done classes with ever hit the road or dirt on a bike, so it's certainly not just for cyclists!

The treadmill is like slow death to me. You can't coast on it either.

Debra
 
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